Read more about the article US Treasury Rules Offer More Flexibility with Local ARPA Funds
Coronavirus / Emergency Management / Health and Human Services / Information Technology / NACo and Federal Issues / Public Safety and Corrections / School Construction and Capital Budgets
US Treasury Rules Offer More Flexibility with Local ARPA Funds

New federal guidelines offer local governments additional, practical latitude in using funds distributed under the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) - welcome news for jurisdictions still navigating the accountability measures for appropriate spending and projects. Expect a breakdown from NACo soon. The U.S. Department of Treasury just released their Interim Final Rule (IFR) for the bipartisan State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act (i.e. Cornyn/Padilla Amendment) that allows counties…

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August 11, 2023
Read more about the article $10M in Grants Now Available for Tutoring Initiatives to Combat COVID Learning Loss
Coronavirus / County News / Education / NACo and Federal Issues
$10M in Grants Now Available for Tutoring Initiatives to Combat COVID Learning Loss

Maryland will soon join the National Partnership for Student Success and offer $10 million in grant funding for post-pandemic tutoring initiatives to help close the "COVID gap." Maryland is joining the National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS) and investing around $10 million to help students across the state regain traction after pandemic-related learning loss. The NPSS is a research-based, locally-driven public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Education, AmeriCorps, and the NPSS Hub at the…

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June 26, 2023
Read more about the article Maryland Nationally Recognized for Use of Federal COVID-19 Education Aid
Coronavirus / County News / Education / NACo and Federal Issues
Maryland Nationally Recognized for Use of Federal COVID-19 Education Aid

Maryland was recently highlighted by a national bipartisan organization of superintendents and state education leaders for its successful use of education COVID-19 relief funding. Chiefs for Change is a bipartisan national organization of state and district education system leaders who "collectively advocate for policies and practices that make a difference for students and work to develop the next generation of bold Future Chiefs." The organization's recent report, titled "A Work in Progress: How Covid Aid…

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June 22, 2023
Read more about the article Washington Allocates $5 M to Small Business Impact Grants
Business Affairs / Coronavirus / County News / Economic Development / NACo and Federal Issues
Washington Allocates $5 M to Small Business Impact Grants

Washington County has designated $5 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic aid to small business impact grants. Washington County has allocated $5 million of the County's federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to implement Small Business Impact Grants. Through the Small Business Impact Grant Program, grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded to small businesses in the County impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Washington County Department of Business and Economic Development will administer…

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June 14, 2023
Read more about the article Empowering Baltimore City: New COVID Mini-Grant Opportunities
Coronavirus / County News / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development
Empowering Baltimore City: New COVID Mini-Grant Opportunities

The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD), in partnership with Civic Works, announced on Wednesday (May 31) new mini-grant opportunities for community-based organizations in Baltimore to provide health resources and combat COVID-19 in underserved communities. Funding for the grants is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities.” Each grant will be…

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June 1, 2023
Read more about the article Baltimore Named “Workforce Hub” by New Federal Jobs Initiative
Coronavirus / County News / Economic Development / Employee Benefits and Relations / Labor / NACo and Federal Issues
Baltimore Named “Workforce Hub” by New Federal Jobs Initiative

Baltimore City, along with four other cities, was named a “Workforce Hub,” under a new federal initiative aimed at matching more Americans with “good jobs and careers.” Baltimore City has been deemed a "Workforce Hub" as part of a federal effort to ensure that all Americans can access the jobs created by the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda, designed to jumpstart the economy as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Named alongside Baltimore as "Workforce Hubs"…

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May 22, 2023
Read more about the article The Federal Health Emergency Ends, but Marylanders’ Food Insecurity is Rising
Coronavirus / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / NACo and Federal Issues
The Federal Health Emergency Ends, but Marylanders’ Food Insecurity is Rising

As the formal end of the declared federal health emergency arrives, low-income Marylanders struggle with issues like food insecurity and the cost of everyday household items.  May 11 marks the end of the federal health emergency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the statewide hunger-relief non-profit, Maryland Food Bank, expressed concern about the staggering food insufficiencies that have risen drastically among low-income and struggling families. Between March and April, the share of families with incomes between…

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May 11, 2023
Read more about the article Pandemic Leftovers: Is Virtual Learning Here to Stay?
Coronavirus / Education / Information Technology
Pandemic Leftovers: Is Virtual Learning Here to Stay?

Virtual learning during the pandemic and its leftover impact on American education is shaping how we view and do school for generations to come The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped our image of schooling in the short term and seemingly in the long term, for generations of American students. Aspects of remote and virtual learning have remained a major component of ongoing education programs in Maryland and around the country -- even “post” pandemic. Some school districts…

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May 10, 2023
Read more about the article ARPA Report Due from Each County April 30, New Post-Emergency Rules Announced
Coronavirus / Emergency Management / Employee Benefits and Relations / NACo and Federal Issues
ARPA Report Due from Each County April 30, New Post-Emergency Rules Announced

New ARPA Rules as Federal COVID Emergency Expires - New Limits on Payroll Use, April 30 Report Due Earlier this week Treasury released updated FAQs that outline how the termination of the COVID-19 National Emergency affects the ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds eligible uses. Generally, counties will be able to continue investing ARPA funds as they currently are, there is one key difference as it relates to premium pay for essential workers. Key…

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April 12, 2023
Read more about the article #MACoCon Attendees Explore How to Best Support Local Health Departments
Coronavirus / Health and Human Services / Winter Conference
#MACoCon Attendees Explore How to Best Support Local Health Departments

At the 2023 MACo Winter Conference, attendees explored the vast roles of local health departments, their unique state-local infrastructure, and how county governments can best support them. Local health departments are a robust resource for citizens from clinics for routine care and addiction treatment to elder care services and safety classes for new parents. These teams of physicians, nurses, social workers, sanitarians, counselors, therapists and other allied health and support personnel are ready to help. At…

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January 12, 2023
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